Tag: behavior

Shutting oneself away at home and devouring stacks of books does have its uses, but a proper understanding of society and the times requires direct contact with the world. The neighbor, therefore, teaches something that books cannot. Thus, Cioran, traveling through France by bicycle, sleeping in hostels, and talking with young people, was ahead of ambassadors, observers, and everyone else when it came to the French people’s sentiments regarding World War II. By wandering the world, he gained a conviction that seemed like clairvoyance to some English officers. Often, clairvoyance is nothing more than a variation on experiences like these.

No amount of learning or study can suppress the manifestations of temperament, even if they turn out to be clearly irrational. There is no problem with this; on the contrary: it would be undesirable to suppress them, since temperament is an important part of personality. The problem begins when the individual is mistaken and tries to convince others that he has managed, through study, to subdue his nerves, and as a result, what he says can only be grounded in the brightest reason. Well, there are better jokes! But one must reach intellectual maturity to properly appreciate personality and delight in it as Goethe did.

It is a pity that man does not possess a self-preservation instinct that would encourage him to cut out his own tongue before it degenerates irreparably into slander. There are cases in which, if such an instinct existed, the biography would be quite different. One must think very carefully before giving in to this terrible impulse, which is all the more blinding the more just it seems. In general, one slanders those one knows best, and the best way to know someone is to form a close intimacy, which very rarely occurs without some degree of kindness and mutual cordiality—for which one ought to be grateful. One soon sees where all this leads: there is no more despicable trait than ingratitude.

It is understandable the agitation and the nonconformity of someone who feels completely ignored, undervalued, or wronged. But here’s the thing: it is almost always futile, and he who acts as his own advocate or propagandist rarely makes a good impression. He does not overcome such injustice, and may even reinforce it by earning a reputation for vanity. That is a dish one must chew in silence, without complaining about the excess salt. One must swallow it without getting upset, like someone who accepts fate, and take comfort in that calm acceptance. Because, after all, the world has never been a reliable judge, and one should not seek any kind of guidance from it.